Ophthalmoscope



Nov. 8, 1938. B. A. meems 2,135,801

OPHTHALMOSCOPE Filed June. 1, 1936 FIG. 2 F563 l5 BARTHOLOMEW A. DIGGINS INVENT. BY v Patented Nov. s, 1938 UNITED STATES OPHTHAIMOSCOPE Bartholomew A. Dig-gins, Rochester, N.'Y., as-

signor to Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 1, 1936, Serial No. 82,795

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to optical instruments and more particularly to ophthalmoscopes which are used in darkened rooms for examining eyes.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved ophthalmoscope which will be relatively simple in structure yet convenient and efiicient in operation. Another object is to provide an ophthalmoscope having means for illuminating its dial in a simple and eflicient manner. A further object is to provide a new form of ophthalmoscope disk in which the indicia may be easily illuminated from the ophthalmoscope lamp. These and other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view with parts broken away, of an ophthalmoscope head embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a rear view thereof with parts broken away.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section thereof.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a modification.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 wherein I indicates, generally, an ophthalmoscope head which is of the well known May type. This ophthalmoscope head comprises a tubular housing I l carrying a mounting I2 which holds the reflecting prism I3. An incandescent lamp I4 is mounted within the housing II and directs light rays onto the prism I3, from whence they pass to the eye of a patient, as is well known to those skilled in the art.

Secured to the housing II is a shield plate I upon which the lens carrying disk, indicated generally at I6, is rotatably mounted. In the preferred form, the disk I6 is composed of two substantially coextensive circular plates I! and I8. These plates I1 and I8 have a series of aligned apertures I9 and 20, respectively, and the lenses 2i are positioned between the plates I1 and I8 in alignment with the apertures I9 and 2D. The front plate I! of the disk I6 has a second series of apertures 22 and the rear plate I8 has a series of rearwardly extending struck-up portions 23 in alignment with the apertures 22 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the shield plate I5 has an annular depression 24 to provide clearance for the struck-up portions 23 as the disk I6 is rotated.

A cover plate 25 partially encloses the edge of the disk I5 so that the edge of the disk I6 may be engaged by the finger for the purpose of selectively rotating the disk to place any one of the in alignment with the opening 29 and the struckup portion 23. From Fig. 4 it may be seen that light from the lamp I4 passes through the openings 29 and 30 to illuminate the index mark 28 on the struck-up portion 23. A shield or shutter 3| is mounted on the tubular housing II and may be rotated to close the opening 29 and thus out off the light from the index mark 28.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the shield plate I5 is fiat and the disk I6 is mounted in spaced relation to the shield plate I5 to provide clearance for the struck-up portions 23. The structure of the two modifications is otherwise the same.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I am able to attain the objects of my invention and provide an ophthalmoscope having a simple but effective means for illuminating the lens indicia from the ophthalmoscope lamp. While the ophthalmoscope lens disk has been shown as made of two plates, obviously a single plate could be used. Various other modifications could also be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lens carrier for an ophthalmoscope comprising a first disk having a series of apertures, a second disk having a series of apertures in alignment with the first-named series, a plurality of lenses secured between said disks in alignment with said apertures, said first disk having a second series of apertures, a series of portions in said second disk in alignment with said second series of apertures and bent away from said first disk, and indicia on the surface of said portions adjacent said first disk.

2. In an ophthalmoscope a housing, a lamp within said housing, means for directing light from said lamp into the eye of a patient, a lens disk rotatably carried by said housing, a plurality of lenses carried by said disk, a plurality of struck-up portions on the side of the disk adjacent said housing, indicia on said struckeup portions facing said disk in alignment with said openings, and means for illuminating said indicia from said lamp.

3. In an ophthalmoscope, a housing, a lamp Within said housing, means for directing light from said lamp into the eye of a patient, a lens disk rotatably carried by said housing, a plurality of lenses carried by said lens disk, said disk having a plurality of apertures, one for each lens,,

a plurality of projections on the side of said disk adjacent said housing, indicia on said projections visible through said apertures and means for illuminating said indicia from said lamp.

BARTHOLOMEW A. DIGGINS, 

